As one can ascertain, pressure transducers are widely known and widely employed in the prior art. The assignee herein, Kulite Semiconductor Products, Inc., is a prominent manufacturer of pressure transducers and has many patents relating to such devices. Many pressure transducers operate in harsh environmental conditions. In this manner, they are operated at extremely high temperatures and extremely high pressures. Examples of such transducers are well known. For a general aspect of such transducers, reference is made to U.S. Pat. No. 6,612,178 entitled, “Leadless Metal Media Protected Pressure Sensor” which issued on Sep. 2, 2003 to Anthony D. Kurtz et al., the inventor herein and is assigned to Kulite. This is just one example of a semiconductor pressure transducer used in applications which require operation in harsh environments that are corrosive and/or involve high temperature. While the transducer of this invention can be employed in harsh environments, it is understood that it can be used in any environment.
Most transducers, as can be ascertained, operate as wired devices. A typical pressure transducer contains a Wheatstone bridge, or other bridge arrangement, which basically comprises piezoresistive sensors accordingly arranged. While the present invention preferably uses piezoresistive devices, it is understood that the concepts herein can be utilized with any type of pressure sensor.
As indicated, in most environments, the pressure transducers are hard-wired into circuitry, which circuitry also interfaces with external equipment by means of hard wire connections.
It is an objective of the present invention to provide a transducer which will operate to transmit a radio signal or a transmitted wireless signal to a remote location. Such transmission is conventional and is well known and, for example, such remote transmitters have been used in conjunction with various types of sensors. A major aspect of the present invention is to use a pressure transducer in conjunction with a battery, which battery supplies operating potential to the transducer as well as the associated electronic circuitry. One aspect of the present invention is to utilize the battery to operate the transducer and associated electronics, but only when the pressure transducer is placed and positioned in an environment which is to be monitored. Thus, there is no power drain from the battery when the transducer is not in position. There is a switch which is activated when the transducer is placed in a pressure sensing mode and the switch connects the battery to the electronics enabling the transducer to be utilized as a wireless device, only when the transducer is placed in an operative position.
Other aspects of the present invention will be understood when reference is made to the Figures as included herein.